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Ex-Oilers player Holloway hospitalized after taking puck in throat

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Nov 6 2024, 2:32 am
Ex-Oilers player Holloway hospitalized after taking puck in throat

Former Edmonton Oilers forward Dylan Holloway was involved in a very scary incident during tonight’s game between the St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning.

With just over a minute left in the first period, Holloway got in a lane to block a shot from Lightning forward Nick Paul. The puck caught Holloway in the throat area, though he was able to chip the puck out immediately afterward and appeared to be okay. That all changed after he got to the bench, however.

Following a stoppage in play, trainers on the Blues bench tended to Holloway and motioned for the EMT crew to come onto the ice. It was a very scary moment, with several players on both sides showing plenty of concern.

Holloway was eventually put on a stretcher and taken to the hospital for further examination. Thankfully, the Blues have since reported that he is alert and in stable condition.

“I think the only way I can put it to you guys (the media) is if you’re at work, you get a call that one of your family members is sick and rushed to the hospital,” Blues head coach Drew Bannister said post-game. “Holly is a family member. That was tough. I thought we, as a group, showed a lot of fortitude mentally being able to push through that… We were able to get updates on Holly and kind of put our minds at ease a little bit, and we focused on ourselves.

“From what we’ve heard, he’s doing well. It’s a good sign.”

Holloway has been a solid addition to the Blues this season, registering four goals and six points in 12 games.

The 23-year-old was one of two Oilers to sign an offer sheet with the Blues; defenceman Philip Broberg was the other. Broberg was also having himself a solid start to the season, with nine points through 12 games, but he suffered a lower-body injury Saturday night and is expected to miss four to six weeks.

The most important thing from today’s incident, of course, is that Holloway is okay. Fortunately, that seems to be the case, and we should get further clarity later tonight or perhaps at some point tomorrow regarding how long he may be out of the lineup.

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